


burnout

by SilkyinaBottle



Category: Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Multi, Petty Arguments, Polyamory, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2016-10-09
Packaged: 2018-08-20 12:24:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8248877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilkyinaBottle/pseuds/SilkyinaBottle
Summary: Paul is sick, and Nick and Josh's care-giving tactics differ.





	

“Look at him.” Josh frowns at the Paul-shaped lump in the bunk of the bottom bed, before turning his scowl back towards Nick. “He’s probably like this because we haven’t been giving him enough attention,” he says, a familiar accusatory sound underlying his words.

“He’s  _ like this  _ because he overworked himself!” Nick points out, gesturing to the piles of paper strewn across their desk. It’s been like this ever since Jeff started his campaign; Paul staying up until early morning hours making posters, drafting speeches, and reorganizing his campaign plan. Of all times to get sick, this is by far the most inconvenient, and Nick wants to kick himself for not watching over his friend more carefully. “What we need to do is get him some water, maybe some soup…”

“We’re not allowed in the dorm kitchen, remember?” Josh’s arms are crossed firmly over his chest, and he leans forward to glare at Nick just a little harder.

Nick lets out a huff of a sigh; it’s closer to a scoff than anything else. “Oh, and whose fault is that?”

“ _ I’m _ not the one who tried to do knife tricks over the sink!” Josh cries, leaning back with an offended look plastered across his features. Nick feels awful for missing the proximity between their faces. There are more important things to attend to right now; they shouldn’t be going off on such a tangent right now.

But he continues down this path anyways. It seems he can never restrain himself around Josh. “Neither was I! That was Paul!”

“You let him do it,” Josh retorts, the unspoken,  _ “You’re supposed to be the responsible one,”  _ hanging in the air like a two-ton weight. God, he already feels bad enough for letting Paul work himself sick; he doesn’t  _ need  _ this right now…

“Anyways, I really don’t think cuddling is going to cure him, unless we want to get ourselves sick, too,” he tells Josh in a shameless attempt to change the subject. “Even if we can’t  _ make  _ him soup, we can always get him some from the cafeteria.” It’s almost dinnertime, after all. Normally they aren’t supposed to bring food from the cafeteria back to their dorms, but it’s usually allowed under special circumstances. He’s sure if they explain what’s going on, they can just—

“I never said it would  _ cure  _ him. I just said it would help.” But it seems Josh isn’t budging. He’s always like this. Ever affectionate, almost clingy; always wrapping his arms around their waists during club meetings or kissing one of them on the cheek in the middle of a normal conversation. And he always acts like it’s nothing; like this is completely expected behavior from him. After a while, that’s what it became. Usually it’s endearing, but right now it’s just inappropriate.

He opens his mouth to speak, but the rustling of blankets behind him makes him snap it back shut. Paul has propped himself up on his elbows and is staring at them both with half-lidded, glazed over eyes. Nick is at his side in an instant, holding his shoulders and trying to lay him flat on his back again. “No, no, don’t get up! We’ll get along, I promise; you need to go back to sleep.”

But Paul resists his touch, pushing his hands away and motioning for Josh to come closer. Josh quietly obeys, sharing a confused look with Nick as he moves to Paul’s bedside. He doesn’t say anything, or rather, he  _ can’t  _ say anything before Paul loops his arms around his shoulders and pulls him into bed with him. Josh’s eyes widen in surprise for a moment, but then he relaxes and worms his way under the covers, glad to have his way. “Paul, no, we have to—” Nick starts to protest, reaching to yank the blankets off of them both, but Paul’s voice stops him mid-motion.

“I’m sick from overwork, Nick,” he mumbles, his voice stuffy and slurred from exhaustion. “You said so yourself. I shouldn’t be contagious.” He raises his head a little so he can get a good look at Nick over Josh’s body. “You go get the soup and stuff. That sounds like a good idea.” He rests his head on the pillow again, drifting back to sleep faster than Nick thought was possible.

When he doesn’t move a single step from his spot in the middle of the room, Josh speaks up again. “Well? You heard him; get the fuck out of here.”

Nick sighs, but crosses the room anyways, making sure to grab his wallet off of the dresser on his way out. “I love you too,” he mutters darkly as he closes the door behind him, and he means it.


End file.
